Shortwave and longwave radiative contributions to global warming under increasing CO2

The greenhouse effect is well-established. Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, reduce the amount of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) to space; thus, energy accumulates in the climate system, and the planet warms. However, climate models forced with CO2 reveal that global ener...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Main Authors: Donohoe, Aaron, Armour, Kyle C., Pendergrass, Angeline G., Battisti, David S.
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: National Academy of Sciences 2014
Subjects:
Physical Sciences
Sea ice
Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4250165/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25385628
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1412190111
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Summary:The greenhouse effect is well-established. Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, reduce the amount of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) to space; thus, energy accumulates in the climate system, and the planet warms. However, climate models forced with CO2 reveal that global energy accumulation is, instead, primarily caused by an increase in absorbed solar radiation (ASR). This study resolves this apparent paradox. The solution is in the climate feedbacks that increase ASR with warming—the moistening of the atmosphere and the reduction of snow and sea ice cover. Observations and model simulations suggest that even though global warming is set into motion by greenhouse gases that reduce OLR, it is ultimately sustained by the climate feedbacks that enhance ASR.

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